System and Method for Connecting Gaming Devices to a Network for Remote Play

1. A method of authenticating a user, the method comprising: reading a security certificate from a smart card, the security certificate including data indicative of an identity of a user; sending the security certificate to a certificate authority for authentication; receiving an authentication reply from the authority, wherein the authentication reply comprises an indication of the certificate authority's determination of whether the user is at least a predetermined age; and playing a game in response to an authentication reply that indicates that a user is at least a predetermined age.

2. A gaming system comprising: a reader configured to read a security certificate from a smart card, the security certificate including data indicative of an identity of a user; a transmitter configured to send the security certificate to a certificate authority for authentication; a receiver configured to receive an authentication reply from the authority, wherein the authentication reply comprises an indication of the certificate authority's determination of whether the user is at least a predetermined age; and a processor configured to play a game in response to an authentication reply that indicates that a user is at least a predetermined age.

3. A gaming system, comprising: means for receiving a security certificate from a smart card, the security certificate including data indicative of an identity of a user; means for sending the security certificate to a certificate authority for authentication; means for receiving an authentication reply from the certificate authority, wherein the authentication reply comprises an indication of the certificate authority's determination of whether the user is at least a predetermined age; and means for playing a game in response to an authentication reply indicating that the user is at least a predetermined age.

4. A method of authenticating a user, the method comprising: receiving data indicative of an identity of a user; sending data indicative to an authenticator device; receiving an authentication reply from the authenticator device, wherein the authentication reply comprises an indication of the certificate authority's determination of whether the user is at least a predetermined age; and authorizing use of a gaming device based on an authentication reply indicating that the user is at least a predetermined age.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the data is provided by a biometric identity device.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the data is provided by a password input by the user.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the data is provided by a smart card.

8. A remote player device coupled to a data network, the remote player device comprising: at least one security device configured to obtain player credentials of a user, wherein the player credentials are sufficient to identify the user; a transmitter configured to send the player credentials to a host gaming device over the data network; a receiver configured to receive an authentication reply from the host gaming device over the data network; and a processor configured to play a game based, in part, on an authentication reply that comprises an indication that the host gaming device has determined that the user is at least a predetermined age.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one security device comprises a smart card reader.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one security device comprises a biometric device.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one security device comprises an input device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the player credentials are, at least in part, a password.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the remote player device is authorized to receive game information provided by the host gaming device based, in part, on the player credentials.

14. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on the host gaming device.

15. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of ga ng transactions on each of the plurality of remote player devices.

16. A host gaming device coupled to the data network, the host gaming device comprising: a receiver configured to receive player credentials of a user from a remote player device over the data network, the player credentials sufficient to identify the user; a processor configured to verify the user and determine that the age of the user is at least a predetermined age based on the player credentials; and a transmitter configured to send an authentication reply to the remote player device over the data network, wherein the authentication reply comprises an indication of a determination of whether the age of the user is at least the predetermined age, wherein the host gaming device is authorized to transmit game information to the remote player device based, in part, on the player credentials.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the player credentials comprises a security certificate.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the player credentials comprises at least one of a fingerprint, a voice print and a retinal scan.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the play er credentials comprises at least one of a user name and a password.

20. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on the host gaming device.

21. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a central gaming controller configured to create an auditable record of gaming transactions on each of the plurality of remote player devices.

22. A method for authenticating a user, the method comprises: receiving player credentials of a user from a remote gaming device over a data network, the player credentials sufficient to identify the user; verifying the user; determining if the user is at least a predetermined age based on the player credentials; and transmitting an authentication reply to the remote gaming device over the data network, wherein the authentication reply comprises an indication of a determination of whether the age of the user is at least the predetermined age, wherein the host gaming device is authorized to transmit game information to the remote gaming device based, in part, on the player credentials.